Do you know of any open source content or course about this topic?
I don’t know any open source courses, but there are many options available to you that you might find intriguing.
You can start with sources listed in wikipedia articles. Some of these will be available online. For example, the article for the Gospel of Mark (
Gospel of Mark - Wikipedia) lists dozens of sources, some of which are available online, and ten or so links to online sources that might be of interest to you.
In my own opinion, the best way to approach this topic is to read some of work that synthesizes the work of others. My best recommendation is James Dunn’s “Christianity in the Making.” It’s three volumes, and not everyone finds it to be an easy read, but it is certainly comprehensive. Acquiring it may be difficult these days, however. His work is also not universally accepted. Particularly his views on oral transmission in the pre-written Gospel era.
Because of the pandemic, several major academic libraries have made their electronic collections available to the general public. I haven’t looked into these, but I know Harvard University has made some number of ebooks available. I’m sure there are several in areas you might find interesting.
Finally,
Jstor.org has currently opened up most of their journals due to the pandemic. This resource allows you to search hundreds of scholarly journals across virtually every academic discipline. You can search for articles and the occasional book chapter about pretty much anything.
Hopefully this is helpful. If you’re looking for anything more specific, just let me know and I’ll try to help.
